The Music Box
by TogetherWeCanFly
Summary: A collection of Everlark songfics and one shots. Each chapter stands alone completely. Mostly fluffy, but there are some mature chapters to come!


**Hey, there! Remember that wonderful time when all my stories got deleted? Well, as it turns out, I still have some of them saved in random places on my computer! While I search for them, I decided to start a collection of my songfics and oneshots so that I can also add to it later when I have another idea! Yay! :D**

**Anyway, this one is just based on the song "Everywhere" by Michelle Branch, and it's set before the first book.**

**If you haven't heard the song, or you don't know the lyrics, it might help to listen to it, but you don't really have to. :P**

**Read and Review, please!**

* * *

_Everywhere_

* * *

She appears in my dreams again. And as usual, I wake up with a foolish smile on my face. It felt so real. I could feel her hands in my hair, I could taste her lips. However, my smile slowly turns into a frown again as I realize that it was a dream and nothing more. Forcing myself out of bed, I remind myself that it doesn't have to stay this way forever. One day, I will find the courage to tell her how I feel about her.

That day might even be today. It _is_ her fifteenth birthday. I've been following her in school for the past two days to see which room her first class is in; I found out the first day and used the second day to confirm it. I hid a few cookies from my family so that I could put it on her desk as her birthday gift. If Mother knew that I was hiding cookies that we could have easily sold... well, let's just say a slap in the face might not satisfy her anger this time. But it's worth it to make Katniss happy.  
I pull the paper bag out from under my bed and immediately shove it into my book bag.

When I get downstairs, I run right past my family so that I have no chance of getting caught. I only glance at them on my way out, just in time to see my father giving me a knowing smile. I keep running, hoping that he doesn't know.  
All of my friends greet me as I hurry toward her classroom, but I don't stop for any of them. I don't stop until I reach the currently empty room. A breath of relief escapes me as I pull the cookies out of my bag. I place them on her desk, and I'm just about to leave the room when I come face to face with... _her._

"Sorry," she mutters, backing away so I can pass.

For a few seconds, I just stand there with my mouth hanging open. I only realize how stupid I must seem when she gives me a funny look. My mouth closes immediately and I force myself out of the room, embarrassed by my behavior. I could have talked to her. She was right there, and I just stood there, staring at her like a fool. For god-sake, I could have wished her a happy birthday! I try to shake it off as I head to my own class.

That day, when I go outside, she is there, waiting for her little sister. I watch her from a safe distance, wishing I could just talk to her. When I really think about it, why can't I talk to her? What is there to be afraid of? Right then, she looks up and realizes that I'm staring at her. Her already straight face automatically turns into a scowl, which makes me look down.

_Oh yeah, _I think to myself. _That's what I'm afraid of._

When I find the nerve to look up again, I see that she has already lost interest. As her sister exits the school, she smiles the slightest bit, which makes me smile as well. Her smile is so rare and so hard to come by. But it's so beautiful. Every time I see it, I just can't bring myself to look away. And it's the smile that gives me courage. Before I can stop myself, I begin to walk toward her. She looks at me as I get closer to her, and I can see a confused look in her eyes.

"Hi, Katniss," I say nervously.

She says nothing, but I try to stay calm anyway. After all, I've come this far.

"I just wanted to say..." I trail off, trying to get myself together.

"What?" she asks impatiently.

"Um... Happy birthday," I force out.

This seems to take her by surprise, but she composes herself quickly.

"Thanks..."

I nod and begin to walk away from her. Once I'm a good distance away, I see her look into her book bag with a confused look on her face. Only when she opens the flap of the paper bag do I realize that she is looking at the cookies I gave her. And just from the look on her face, I can tell that she's caught on.

* * *

It's Sunday morning. And that means that I might get to see Katniss today. I insisted that I would take over my father's shift. I told him that he should relax. He chuckled and gave me a knowing look, but he agreed to let me work alone. Thank goodness. After that awkward encounter a couple of days ago, I'm going to need all of the face time I can possibly get to show Katniss that I'm not as strange as she thinks I am.

I take a deep breath as I look out the window and see her approaching the bakery. I look down and pat the last bit of flour off of my shirt, and then I pretend that I'm busy with something, even though there's really not much to do.

"Excuse me?"

I turn around and pretend that I had no idea she was there. She raises an eyebrow slightly as I smile at her.

"Hello, how can I help you?" I say politely.

"Um..." she starts, obviously recognizing me as the awkward stranger who somehow knew what day her birthday was. "I just came to trade..."

"Sure," I reply, trying to make myself appear as normal as possible. "What do you have?"

"Doesn't your father usually do the trades?" she asks impatiently.

"He's off today, but I can do it. There's not much to it, right?"

I smile, but she just stares at me before reluctantly putting one of her squirrels on the counter.

"Right through the eye," I comment, still smiling.

"Yeah..." she mutters. "He usually gives me one loaf for a squirrel."

I nod and pick up a loaf of bread that I had just pulled out of the oven and wrap it in a bag. After looking around quickly to make sure nobody is around, I also place a couple of frosted cookies in the bag.

"No, just the bread," Katniss says as I hand her the bag.

"It's fine," I say, chuckling. "I've seen your sister staring at the cakes, and I'm sure she'll like the cookies just as much."

"You've seen my sister?"

"Well, yes... Sometimes, I see you guys walking home, and I've seen her stop to look at our cake designs."

All right, that is a lie. I don't just _see _them walking home sometimes, I watch them every single day. But she doesn't need to know that. She gives me a funny look, anyway.

"Okay, well... thanks," she says, taking the bag off the counter.

I smile as I watch her walking away, thinking that I might have made some kind of difference. But I haven't. I know because I hear her mutter something under her breath right before she leaves:

"You're everywhere."

* * *

I watch, just as I always do, as she waits for her little sister. She wears her hair in one long braid, as usual. And as usual, she's oblivious to my staring. It's as if she doesn't understand how beautiful she is. She doesn't understand the effect she has on me. And she never will.

No. She will one day, I reassure myself. One day, I'll find the courage to tell her how I feel about her. Just not today.

An almost undetectable smile appears on her face, as her sister approaches her. They talk to each other for a moment, but I'm too far away to know what they're saying. Katniss holds out her hand, and Prim takes it as they begin to walk to the school exit. I sigh, feeling a little disappointed.

I see her in my dreams, she's on my mind all day. I see her now, as she walks home from school. I see the real her, the beauty inside her that so many people overlook.

But there is one question that constantly nags at me.

Does she see me?


End file.
